That’s what happened in Stapleton when the seminal rap group the Sugarhill Gang tore it up last night in Tappen Park.

Taking center stage were: Warren (Wonder Mike) Moore, Henry (Big Bank Hank) Jackson and Joey (Master G.) Robinson Jr. Over the years, the group has subtracted and added members, with Hank as the sole original member of the 1979 crew.

But once the three men stepped on stage their sound was undeniably Sugarhill Gang for the 450 or so fans who descended on the park for a chance to see a piece of hip-hop history.

"Staten Island, make some noise!," Robinson shouted into the microphone.

"Now somebody, anybody, everybody scream!!!" he said, eliciting the expected response. The group decided to kick it off with some old-school rap, breaking into Kurtis Blow’s "The Breaks," followed by Rob Base’s "It Takes Two," and next serving up Run-DMC’s version of Aerosmith’s "Walk This Way, complete with Hank reprising Steven Tyler’s screams during the chorus. Other classic rap hits followed: Grandmaster Flash’s "The Message," and the group’s own hits, including "Apache" and "8th Wonder."

But it was the show’s finale: "Rapper’s Delight" — the 1979 multi-platinum seller that brought hip-hop to the forefront of the world’s music scene — that brought the house down.

"I’m going to take you back to 1979, to roller skates going through the clubs, and all of a sudden a song came on and nobody knew what it was. People said, ‘What is this song?’ and ‘And what is the rapping?’ This record ... built a multibillion-dollar industry. It was the first 12-inch rap record to become No.1 [around] the world," he said.

As the guys danced and belted out their parts, they pulled some members of the audience on stage, including Kamillah Hanks, president of the board of directors of the fledgling Friends of Tappen Park, who displayed a few fancy moves. Island Park Commissioner Adena Long didn’t miss a step dancing on the sidelines.

The performance was part of the annual SummerStage. Now in its 26th year, it is the city’s largest free performing arts festival and is run by the City Parks Foundation. For people like Ms. Hanks and Lynn Rogers, North Shore Outreach Coordinator for the City’s Parks Foundation, hosting these famous performers was a coup celebrating the Island’s diversity.

"It puts Staten Island in competition with the other boroughs," said Ms. Hanks. "It’s essential we have this type of concert event because people need to start coming to the Island for these types of events. Our diversity makes us special."

Among those who enjoyed the event were Astrid Fraser, 42, of Brooklyn and her friend, Richard Gittens, 49, of England. "I’m a big fan of the Sugarhill Gang," said Ms. Fraser. "They are old-school rappers. With them, it’s all about the music."

David and Keesha Roach flew in from Chicago, while Louis Ford, 42, of Stapleton, brought his son, Davughn, 6, "so he can see the real people who were pioneers and he can learn how important they were to rap music."